Minneapolis Office of Community Safety appoints director of community safety design and implementation

The Minneapolis Office of Community Safety on Thursday announced that it has appointed Amanda Harrington as its director of community safety design and implementation. She will begin her new position on Dec. 4.

Harrington will be responsible for the direction and strategic coordination of the city’s community safety system. According to the city, she will also be responsible for the innovation, implementation and evaluation of new programs.

“Amanda brings a unique vision and perspective to the Office of Community Safety,” said Toddrick Barnette the commissioner of the Office of Community Safety. “Her legal background combined with her experience as a social worker, especially one working with children, will allow her to lead the design and development of programs aimed at improving the safety and well-being of this City at a community-based level.”

Harrington was previously manager of Be@School — a Hennepin County Attorney’s Office program focused on reducing truancy. She has also been an attorney with Hennepin County Attorney’s Office’s Child Protection and Juvenile Prosecution divisions.

She is also a member of MN Heals 2.0, which is a partnership that works to combat violent crime in Minneapolis.

Harrington is also a licensed social worker and mentors social workers in the Minneapolis Public School system, the city said. She also previously served as a childhood development consultant and therapist for various services across the metro.

Harrington has a bachelor’s of science from the College of St. Catherine, a master’s degree in social work from the University of Minnesota, and a J.D. from the University of St. Thomas School of Law.